EXPLORER Snow Bike Photos

January 21, 2009

AD Boivin has created a new way for riders to enjoy their dirt bikes year-round. The EXPLORER Smart All Terrain System replaces wheels with a snow track and mono ski to bring a whole new level of winter riding. Check out the full story in EXPLORER Snow Bike Conversion Kit.

The stock brake rotor is mounted to a drive wheel which sits on top of the track.

It’s the exact same as the unit found on the Snow Hawk with an anti-darting component that keep it from wandering and helps straight-line stability.

The track rolls on a single set of bogie wheels for extra stability and traction.

When the trails thaw out it only requires 60-90 minutes to complete the swap.

The EXPLORER is universal.

The EXPLORER can be ridden in the summer. Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is a trip to the dunes where a continuous stream of paddles is much greater than what’s available from a standard motorcycle sand tire.

Jumping is fun, but difficult. The extra weight requires more speed.

AD Boivin's EXPLORER snow track system is a unique and relatively simple way to increase your motorcycle's diversity.

Momentum is definitely a necessity, but the bike accelerates from a stop or slow speeds without digging excessively.

We only had to dig it our once and it's definitely easier than freeing a sled.

There is definitely a learning curve associated with riding a dirt bike sans wheels.

We tried to ride this like a regular dirt bike. You don't need to weight the outside peg. It's actually the opposite with the ski.

Riding the EXPLORER takes some getting used to, but the learning curve is part of the fun.

Owning a snow bike has other benefits aside from the entertaining trail antics and a newfound sense of freedom.

The ski and track are both adjustable to accommodate snow conditions.

The fork is better than the shock at absorbing impacts from buried logs and other forest debris.

Even though we like not having to replace the swingarm and rear shock, we suspect that the leverage angles designed for a tire’s contact patch aren’t quite right for the longer track.

The EXPLORER is much easier to transport than a snowmobile.

The chain is routed through a series of sprockets which turn the drive in reverse, thus pushing the track forward in the proper direction.

EXPLORER Snow Bike

The first thing I noticed after hoisting across the massive seat height was the disturbing lack of a front brake lever.

OMA-KTM let us borrow their demo bike for our test.

EXPLORER Snow Bike

One of the biggest issues was trying to figure out if sitting or standing worked better. Sitting definitely has the advantage in turns.

The actual amount of roost that comes off the track is less than we expected.

Getting off the groomed trails is where the bike does best. Get a few buddies on them and let the fun begin.

Being able to pick a faraway point and head straight for it without fighting the debris that hinders dirt trailblazing is a great feeling.

We only had to dig it our once and it's definitely easier than freeing a sled.

AD Boivin claims the system can be used on any bike 250cc or larger, but we doubt it would be worthwhile on anything less than a 450.